Truck.



No. 740,802. PATENTBD 0012. 6,1903.v y

T. H. BROWN.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1903. I no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEBT'L minim!!!" z WITNESSES INVENTOR m. a. fi m 120mm? 15157 01021 4, M4,

A TTOHNEYS.

'YHE NORRIS FETEiS c0 Pumauwu, WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED OCT. 6, 1903.

'1'. H. BROWN.

TRUGKI APPLICATION FILED HA3. 4, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

1 I I I I u 1 A TTOHNE fs.

, Fatented October 6, 1903.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS HAYES BROWN, OF STERLING, KANSAS.

T RUCK.

. SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,802, dated October 6, 1903.

Application filed March 4, 1908. Serial No. 146,076. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: holes for the bolt 11 and the links 8 hav- Beit known that I, THOMAS HAYES BROWN, ing series of holes 12 and 13 for, respectively, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sterthe bolts 7 and 11, so the clasps can be operling, in the county of Rice and State of Kanated by properly adjusting the bolts 7 and 11 3 sas, have made certain new and useful lin to suit barrels or sacks of different sizes.

provements in Trucks, of which the following The plunger 9 is slidable longitudinally is a specification. through the frame and preferably through Myinvcntion is an improvementin trucks, the axle, as shown, and is arranged at its and particularly in hand-trucks such as are front end 14 to engage the barrel, so the to used in warehouses and the like; and the inbarrel will push the plunger back from the vention consist-sin certain novelconstructions position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. and combinations of parts, as will be hereim '2, and thus cause the clasps to contract upon after described and claimed, whereby to fathebarrel to secure the latter, as shown in cilitate the handling of heavy barrels by the. Figs. 1 and 2. The handle 3 has a step 15,upon r 5 truck. p which the operator may press with his foot, In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevaand also is provided with a latch 16, having tion of the truck as in use. Fig. 2 is a seca hook 17 to engage the upper end of the bar- ,tional top plan view thereof as in use. Fig. rel, as will be understood from Fig. 1 of the 3 is a detail sectional top plan view of the drawings. 20 truck, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on In operation if the parts be as shown in Fig. about line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspec- 3 and the truck be rolled against a barrel to V tive view of a truck as in use, such truck difthe position shown in Fig. l the plunger 9 will fering somewhat from that shown in Figs. 1 be forced rearwardlyand'will operate through to 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the its connections 8 with the rear ends of the 25 truck shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7.is a detail clasps to compress the clasps upon the barview illustrating, on an enlarged scale, the rel and hold the same as desired. The foot connections between the clasp-arms and the may now be placed on step 15 and the handle bars of the truck in the construction shown he pulled down to an angle of about forty dein Figs. 5 and 6. grees. The weight will now be balanced on 30 It will be noticed that the construction the center of the axle and can be readily shown in Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive,ditters somemoved to any desired point. The truck can what in details of construction from that be pushed close to a barrel and can pick out shown in Figs. 5 to '7, inclusive; but it will a barrel from between others, and the rear be understood from the following description end of the plunger and the links connected 3 5 that both constructions are within the broad therewith, when arranged as shown in Fig. 2, principles of my invention, as will be herein will'form a rest for the foot, which also aids in presented. lifting the barrel. v In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, The truck,'as shown in Figs. 5 to 7, incluinclusive, the truck includes a suitable frame sive, includes the axle A, having the wheels 40 having an axle or shaft 1, provided with B; the bars 0, which may slide longitudinally wheels 2, and a handle-bar 3,.secured to the thehandles O gthelatch-barD,supporting-the axle at the center of the latter, as shown in along the axle 'A and are extended to form Figs. 2 and 3. The clasps L are pivoted belatch D, and the clasps E, together with an 5 tween their ends at 5 to the axle, so they may adjustable connection between the barsCand 5 rock laterally, and their front ends or armsv consisting of the cross-bars F, adjustably conare curved to conform toand embrace a barnected at F, so the truck may be spread latrel, and their rear ends, which extend to the orally to adapt it for barrels of dilferent sizes. rear of the axle, are provided with a series of The clasp consists of the arms E, which are holes 6 for the pivoted bolts 7, by which the jointed at their inner ends to the frame of the 50 rear ends of the clasps are connected with truck, preferably to the lower ends of the the links 8, which connect such ends with the bars 0, so the clasp-bars E may turn on their plunger 9, the plunger 9 having a series of connection with the arms in adjusting or rolling into a proper engagement with the barrel. To this end I provide clips G on the bars 0, within which the shanks E of the clasp-bars E are journaled, the said shanks being grooved at E to receive the clips and hold the clasp-arms from longitudinal movement.

In operation the action of the clasp-arms is quite similar to that of the human hand and arm, the lower portion of the clasp touching the barrel first, when by pulling down the handles 0 the clasp will be caused to roll so its upper portion or edge will engage the barrel and hold it firmly. It will be undestood that, as shown, the clasp-arms E are curved to properly conform to the curvature of the barrel.

By my invention a barrel of heavy goods, such as salt or sugar, can be picked up with ease and placed on the desired spot without touching it with the hands either in loading or unloading. It will be noticed the clasparms work automatically and extend in front of the wheels, so that the truck being pushed in front of the barrel the arms roll and adjust themselves to the barrel below the quarterhoop, it making no difference whether the barrel stands alone or is an intermediate one of three or more. The wheels being back, the clasps readily pass between the adjacent barrels to position to engage with the quarterhoops, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 5. At this time, the handle being in a perpendicular position, the hook or latch will catch the top of the barrel,when by pulling down on the handles the arms or clasps will tighten around the barrel and the hook will pull the barrel onto the truck. When the handles are brought down to an angle of about forty degrees, the barrel will balance directly on thecenteroftheaxleandthetop hoop willdrop 01f of its own weight from engagement with the top of the barrel.

' While the clasps may preferably be curved, as shown, to conform to the shape of a barrel, it is manifest they may be made straight whereverdesired-as, forinstance, when they are especially intended for use in taking up bags.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improved truck herein described,

comprising the axle, the handle connected therewith, the clasps pivoted between their ends to the axle and having their front ends or arms curved to embrace a barrel and their rear ends or arms projecting in rear of the axle, the links connected adj ustably at their outer ends with the rear ends of the clasps,

the plunger slidable longitudinally through the axle from front to rear and arranged at its front end for engagement with the barrel, and devices connecting the rear end of the plunger adjustably with the inner ends of the links whereby the plunger is connected with the rear ends of the clasps, substantially asset forth.

2. A truck comprising a frame, the clasps pivoted to the frame and arranged to embrace a barrel, a plunger movable relatively to the frame and arranged for engagement and operation by the barrel, and means whereby the plunger may operate the clasps, substantially as set forth.

The combination in a truck with the frame having a handle and an axle, of clasps pivoted to the frame, a sliding plunger, and means whereby the plunger may operate the clasp.

4. A truck comprising the handle, the axle secured to the handle, the clasps pivoted between their ends to the axle and arranged at approximately a right angle to the handle and adapted in advance of the axle to embrace a barrel, the plunger operating through the axle at approximately a right angle to the handle, and devices connecting the rear ends of the clasps and plunger.

5. The improved truck herein described, comprising the axle, the side bars adjustable along the axle, the adjustable connection between the side bars, the hook or latch for engaging the upper end of the barrel, and the clasp consisting of the opposite arms curved to conform to the curvature of a barrel andv provided attheir inner ends with shanks, and clips secured to the side bars of the truck and having hearings in which the shanks of the clasp-arms arejournaled, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THOMAS HAYES BROWN.

\Vit-nesses:

G. J. BROWN, THOMAS ATKINSON. 

